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Thinking on buying a used 3.0tdi or 4.0tdi A8, anyone any info?
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 27/11/2008 at 19:51
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Having driven both, get the 3.0TDI - it's a nicer engine, a smoother engine and will do 40mpg easily.
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Are these the ones where the gearbox disintegrates at around 80K?
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I would expect any gearbox that doesn't receive the necessary care and attention to disintegrate. It's the same box that is used by BMW, Jaguar, Land-Rover, Aston Martin and Maserati - the ZF HP26 series.
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I just seem to recall over on the technical forum that more than one A8 Quattro owner had suffered a very big bill due to gearbox problem at that mileage and that it was a 'known issue'; but must admit I haven't bothered doing a search to check - or are both the 3.0 and 4.0 RWD only?
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Why not think about a 3.0 VW Phaeton also? You'll probably get more car for less money at the moment. I've even seen a brand new Phaeton priced at 8k less than a year old A8. Both in main delaers.
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The models affected by gearbox issues (over and above the norm) are the 1997-1999 A8 Quattros (note: not the FWD models). The 1999-2002 models are better but a regular transmission fluid change is still advisable.
There are also issues with some Multitronic boxes but that affects all Audis - not specifically the A8.
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"but a regular transmission fluid change is still advisable"
Do you mean a change more frequent than recommended in the manual? Otherwise, stick to the recommendation, presumably.
That said, I wonder if all the autoboxes out there (generally, not just Audi) with clapped-out ATF are in a large minority or the majority? Bet it's not a small minority. Oh, but of course, it's so expensive: £50 to £100+ spread over three years . . .
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The manual does not recommend changing it at all on the regular autos - that is where the problem lies. Audi is by no means alone in this.
Lots of manufacturers started doing this in the 90's - declaring autoboxes "sealed for life". Problem is life is not as long as it would be if the fluid got changed every now and again....
The autoboxes on the 97-99 models are the ones to avoid. Multitronic boxes must have a fluild change every 40k and this is in the service schedule regardless of model.
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Thanks for the advice, had a look and a drive today think i'll end up with an A6 3.0tdi. A8 is just a bit big. Does the A6 have the ZF gearbox aswell?
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Yes, an A6 3.0TDI will have the same ZF gearbox. To my knowledge Audi have been using the ZF HP26 since it's inception in 2002/3 i.e. A4 B7 onwards, A6 current model, A8 current model plus Q7, Allroad. It's only used on Quattro models, a FWD Audi will have a Multitronic box on it for a current model with an inline engine.
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The autoboxes on the 97-99 models are the ones to avoid. Multitronic boxes must have
a fluild change every 40k and this is in the service schedule regardless of model. >>
It must be schadenfreude for ZF Friedrichshafen AG. Their boxes are usually pretty reliable.
My 98 A6 uses the ZF 5-HP-19, commonly known as 'Tiptronic'. BMWs use them as well, but often not with the 'tiptronic' manual option.
It's Audi's own autobox, the Multitronic, which is problematic. Its main component appears to be a glorified bicycle chain. Go for Tiptronic, unless flawless trustworthy service history!
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My understanding is that all Audi autoboxes, inc. multitronic require a oil change every 40000 miles or 4 years. The service cost is much cheaper than a new box!
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I think the problematic one was the 5HP24. It was only fitted to 4wd A6 and A8 models - it was never fitted to fwd versions. The VAG code for the really bad ones is usually DTD or DTE. They all fail eventually.
Audi dropped the 40k change for regular autos (NOT the Multitronic which is compleltely different) when they went from 4sp to 5sp in the mid-90's.
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